...Bow Bulgogi House (Calgary)

Bow Bulgogi House is an unassuming little place located just off 17th AVE SW. They have been serving up delicious and authentic Korean dishes in the same location for as long as I can remember. The staff is super friendly and take pride in explaining each dish on the menu if you have any questions. The only down side (depending of how you look at it) of eating at this great establishment is that the pungent aromas of beef bulgogi will cling to your hair and clothes until the next time you take a shower. All the more reason to take your family and friends so as not be singled out as that guy who smells like beef bulgogi.

If you've never tried it before, beef bulgogi is Korean beef BBQ. The beef is first marinated in soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil then grilled or placed onto a hot cast iron plate to char and caramelize. The end result is tender, sweet and salty slices of beef that melt in your mouth. The beef is traditionally eaten wrapped up in a lettuce leaf with rice, kim chi and a sweet soy bean sauce. The side dishes of pickled daikon radish, mung bean sprouts and fried tofu are also almost as good as the beef itself. Be sure also to order an ice old Korean 'Hite' beer which is the perfect beverage to drink when eating beef bulgogi.

In addition to the beef bulgogi we also ordered the Bibimbap which is a rice dish topped with marinated beef, mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber and a perfectly fried sunny side up egg. When the yolk is broken and every thing is mixed together you get the perfect combination of textures and flavours in every bite.

Our final dish of the night was called Pha Jeon, which is a fried seafood and green onion pancake. With all the shrimp, scallops, octopus and green onions we thought the pancake would be heavy and soggy, but it was just the opposite. The batter was light and fluffy on the inside perfectly suspending the seafood, while the outside had a nice crispy crust.